Duke Energy (DUK +0.6%) will close two coal-fired power plants in North Carolina two years ahead...

Duke Energy (DUK+0.6%) will close two coal-fired power plants in North Carolina two years ahead of schedule, as it continues to transition to more-efficient plants. The utility's modernization effort includes retiring as much as 6,800 MW of older coal and large oil-fired operations; by the end of 2013, DUK says it will have retired more than 3,800 MW of this capacity.